Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Patron ❯ Chapter 2

Youko looked around the apartment, taking in his home for however long his master intended to stay in this city. He hadn't remembered it properly since he'd mostly been hiding in Shuuichi's mind when he decided to buy the building to provide for their mother if they had to. They hadn't needed to do anything blatant since paying off the mortgage, and now Shiori's new fiancé would be able to provide for her even when she stopped working and became a full time mother and wife as she planned to.

 

But he had remembered the number of drugs Shuuichi had used to convince the builders he'd hired to change it so totally from the previous layout. The apartment was much more traditional than anything else in the building, there were tatami instead of carpeting or anything more Western, all of the doors except the entrance were old fashioned sliding doors. The final joke had been when the builders had asked permission to use the apartment as a showpiece, to display their skills in converting modern homes to the traditional layouts more and more people longed for. They'd even agreed to the fees and frankly outrageous security bond he'd demanded, and hadn't contested it when he decided that he wouldn't let them use the apartment for that any longer three years ago.

 

He'd had to be reminded to remove his shoes in the one tatami entrance room, putting them in the half tatami cupboard to his right and the long cream leather coat Shuuichi had bought him and told him to wear out of the shop in the half tatami cupboard to his left while Shuuichi turned on the ningen lights in the next room. This was the central room, from which the kitchen and bathroom could be reached, on his left and right respectively. The central room was a seven tatami room, slightly strangely shaped, with six tatami forming a 12' by 9' rectangle, and the seventh at the end of the room, in front of the door that led to a home office, a three tatami room with the most Western furniture, except the kitchen if he remembered right, a Western style computer table and chair, and the computer to go with it, positioned so that whoever was working on the computer could look out of the window as well. Shuuichi led him through to this room, with his new clothes, mostly yukata, one Western suit, and lots of material for him to sew his own outfits.

 

“You can pick either of the bedrooms, they're identical.” Then Shuuichi left him, probably to put the food he'd bought away in the kitchen. He decided to take the bedroom nearest the kitchen, and began putting his clothes away in the wardrobe and clothes chest that were the only furniture other than the double futon. A smile tugged at his lips when he realised that in just over two hours his Patron had bought him as many outfits as he'd had at any one time in the Makai, and he'd been considered a clotheshorse there. But then, ningen standards of cleanliness were a lot higher than those of many demons, kitsune being one notable exception.

 

Thinking of differences between youkai and ningen...he stood and made his way through to the kitchen, glancing out of the large window at the city before he spoke to his Patron.

 

“Shuuichi-sama, might I grow some Sunstars and Flamehearts to replace the ningen lighting and heating systems here?” As long as he gave them plenty of meat scraps and some of his ki the sunstars would provide much more pleasant light and the Flamehearts would act as a far more effective heating system than anything the ningen could make.

 

“I don't have any seeds for those.” His Patron sounded almost apologetic, it was almost scarier than hearing his master angry. “But once I've got you settled in and explained things to Kaasan I'll see if I can get Botan to take me through to the Makai so I can buy Asuka. Would you like to come along to get those seeds?”

 

He intended to buy that two-tail vixen! Youko bowed his head submissively to hide his eyes, desperately tamping down on the surge of mingled fury, jealousy and a very little relief he was feeling. He shouldn't be feeling this way, except for the relief, he shouldn't want all of Shuuichi's attention for himself, but he did. His master chuckled, reaching out to lift his chin.

 

“Don't try to hide what you're feeling from me. I swear on what little honour I have that I won't punish you for what you feel.” Youko met his eyes, feeling puzzled, most Patrons didn't like that. “You can take your other shape if you'd rather, the humanoid one, so long as no human sees you looking like that.”

 

“As you wish Shuuichi-sama.” It didn't bother the other that he was still in human form, and therefore a foot and a half shorter. “Please, I would like to get those seeds so long as it does not inconvenience you. But why are you buying that two-tail? She can't pass for human and does it really make that much difference to bed a female?”

 

“Getting the seeds falls under my duty to give you a home, and unless you've been holding out on me and know how to create an illusion, or foxfire we need her to teach us. Her clan's still alive, so we can trade on that for more advanced lessons eventually. She can use her illusions well enough to look like a normal fox, I can get an exotic pet license easily enough.” Using whatever means he thought necessary, that went without saying. Shuuichi kissed Youko as he was thinking, running a hand over his collar, rendering it and the cuffs invisible, and moved to leave the apartment. “I'll introduce you to Kaasan at three tomorrow afternoon. Wear one of the yukata.”

 

“Yes Shuuichi-sama.” Youko followed his Patron, and knelt on one of the cushions watching him, until he'd shut the door.

 

 

***0***

 

 

This time his master seemed to ignore him in the dreamscape when Youko finally fell to sleep, despite his excitement at the prospect of being introduced to Kaasan as himself, and perhaps, if he was lucky being accepted as another son, or even just as her true son's concubine. The dreamscape still looked mostly the same, but in one area, it had changed to the arena from the Dark Tournament, and his master was there, fighting the battle against Karasu again, but differently, more successfully, and Youko couldn't tell if it was wish fulfilment, or something else. He knelt where the others had waited for their matches, in case Shuuichi wanted him later, and if nothing else, it was fun to watch him fight.

 

“What are you doing my pet?”

 

“W-waiting for your pleasure?” He turned it into a question in his surprise.

 

“Not tonight.” Shuuichi laughed, glancing back at the body of his defeated opponent as it resurrected itself. There'd always been some nights when he didn't play with Youko, but in those cases Youko had always just hidden himself somewhere in the dreamscape. He didn't know why he hadn't done the same this time, unless it was because he was just so confused. “I'll make you a promise, I'll only do you significant damage during sex here, where I can heal you immediately afterwards.”

 

“Th-thank you.” He stammered in shock at the promise, he hadn't really expected that Shuuichi would offer to restrict his propensity for violence in sex would extend to the real world, even if he'd hoped for it, but... “What does significant damage mean Shuuichi-sama?”

 

“Anything beyond scratches, minor bites, and bruises. Why don't you go and find something else to do?”

 

“I'm not interested in exploring the dreamscape.” Youko pouted as he was drawn up to his feet, only then realising that he'd automatically appeared in his half and half form, while Shuuichi still looked human, he thought that even with the height difference it would amuse his Patron to have him pout, most of his previous Patrons had enjoyed that after all.

 

“And you can't think of anything else to do? Well, I can always give you something to do. Look at Karasu there. You must have observed him from inside my body during the Dark Tournament?”

 

“Yes Shuuichi-sama, I did.” And this version of Karasu was less, much less than the other, he just wasn't sure how to explain it.

 

“This one is wrong, I know he isn't as strong an opponent as he was during the Dark Tournament. I've given him all the tricks I saw, but it isn't enough, and I can't give him the ability to adapt them. It was alright before, I hadn't figured out counters to what he can do here, and since I don't directly control what he does he's still a bit of a challenge, but not enough. I want you to make a new version of him.”

 

“I-I don't understand Shuuichi-sama. How could I do that, I don't even understand what you wish of me.” He still couldn't understand how he'd helped make the dreamscape around them, or how Shuuichi had controlled his own so well.

 

“You're...not a lucid dreamer? I...thought that was a kitsune thing.”

 

“Lucid dreamer? I don't remember...yes, that was mentioned in one of our psychology classes, wasn't it?” He shook his head as he realised what he hadn't understood before. “No, I've never been able to control my dreams.”

 

“You mean you always had to heal at normal rates when I left you without healing you? Until I got back to the dreamscape, assuming you'd healed yourself?” Shuuichi looked strangely shocked at that. “I always thought the main reason I could impose my desires over yours in this world were the agreement you made with me when we were born, and that I had a physical body, but you didn't. A lot of the legendary kitsune powers involve dreams, I'll have to teach you how to do this.”

 

“Please. What must I do?” It was something to do anyway, and it might mean that Shuuichi-sama wouldn't want to take him in this world for a while, and since he'd promised not to do significant damage in the waking world...

 

“While I'm in the dreamscape you're restricted to making things and people. The technique is the same for both - although people are harder, focus on the nature of what you require, on everything you know about it, and build a picture of it in your head. Then, when the picture is perfect let your will flow through and into the image, and call it into existence. Try, now. Just don't tell me what you're trying to make.”

 

People were harder...not Sai then, he couldn't stand to make an imperfect copy of Sai, the first lover he'd taken because he desired it, not because he had to trade his body for something. But...a goban perhaps? Shuuichi had told him that they couldn't take the time to develop an interest in go, not if they wanted to maintain the perfect grades that meant so much to their mother. And before that had been a consideration it would never have occurred to her to spend so much on a game that no other in her family or her husband's played. It formed in front of him, a box with four small legs at each corner and a grid of sorts on the top, but only by a great stretch of the imagination could it be called a goban.

 

“Try again as often as you want. When you practise changing the dreamscape just do what we did to create it.” His master turned away to go back to his sparring partner, boosting the power to almost twice what it had been.

 

 

***0***

 

 

Youko woke up newly awed by his Patron's abilities in the dreamscapes, and mystified by where he obtained them. He didn't remember his master ever having difficulties in controlling them, or doing what he'd been finding so hard. And this was Shuuichi's first life, he knew that, he'd felt the new soul forming as he desperately tried to take over their body before the other's presence made it impossible, so it couldn't be residual memories from his previous incarnation.

 

He'd hovered outside of Shiori's pregnant form, having checked to make sure he wouldn't be mistreated as much as he could, and entered into her pregnant body when he realised that a new soul was beginning to form. He'd thought that he'd be able to take over the body, and absorb the energy from the human soul before it fully formed, but instead he'd been hurt and found himself in the dreamscape that became his home, a man with green eyes and red hair facing him. Somehow all his efforts had done was give that newborn soul his own memories and powers and, he feared, damage his sense of morality.

 

“Who are you? And why are you trying to steal my body?” Later he'd realised that Shuuichi already knew the answers to his questions since he'd absorbed Youko's memories even then, but at the time he'd been too stunned by this suddenly adult soul to think of that. And he'd already recognised that he was too weak to fight the human for his body, much less try again with someone else.

 

“My name is Youko...Kurama.” He'd hesitated over using his personal name, it was the name one of his Patrons had given him, and he'd resented it at the time, but the name did fit him, and his clan had held to the practise of giving a kit a new name on reaching adulthood, so his childhood name was too embarrassing. He'd gotten too used to the name to really want to change it, but still, he stumbled over naming himself so to this strange soul. “I am a kitsune, and I was killed in the Makai. I sacrificed one of my tails and some of my power to come here so I could take up residence in the body of a human,” By rumour and guesswork really, but he hadn't been about to tell the other that, even then something about Shuuichi had been scary. “until I became strong enough to return to my true demon self.”

 

“And how long would that take?” The human tilted his head to one side contemplatively as he spoke. Youko couldn't quite believe what he was hearing, was this ningen really willing to let.. “.And should I allow you to ride in my body until that time what would happen to me afterwards? Would you expel me from our body, or would I be permitted to remain a passenger inside of your body?”

 

He was! “I...it is said that it would take ten years, few kitsune are willing to do this, we tend to be too fond of sensual pleasures.” He suspected that those who were willing to deal with ten years of celibacy had experienced the darker side of sexuality in their past, as he had. “I would give you the choice, you could ride in my body until I died, most likely by violence as all demons do, or I could free you to go to the Reikai and be reincarnated then, or...we could merge into one soul it is said.” This was one thing that all kitsune were taught the theory of from birth, but they rarely learned the practicalities involved in sacrificing a tail until they became adults, at least not in his clan.

 

“Very well, then I will allow you to dwell here in the dreamscape of my body and mind until you are strong enough to take it as your own,” The blank dreamscape changed as he spoke, to a bedroom like a human noble's more than a thousand years ago, the first clue showing Shuuichi's access to his memories, if Youko had just noticed. “provided you permit me to bed you in here however I please until that occurs. I will allow you to take over from me on occasion, but once this body becomes yours I expect you to permit me to remain in your dreamscape, and to use your body on occasion.”

 

“I agree.” His voice was weak with relief that he wasn't going to have to fight for this body, or die looking for a new one.

 

Youko's hand went to his collar and he laughed as he finally recognised what should have been obvious to him sixteen years ago. He'd been agreeing to be Shuuichi's concubine in the dreamscape until he could take control from the other. Shuuichi had never raped him, just taken his rights as Youko's Patron, and none of his treatment at Shuuichi's hands had even been truly worse than that he'd experienced from previous Patrons. Even the nights when he'd been almost killed again and again were something he'd experienced before, with a Patron who was a healer, who'd withdrawn her protection when she thought she'd broken him. He'd only come out of that sane because she'd misjudged, he hadn't been entirely broken, and he'd been lucky enough to find a new Patron who was kinder. And Shuuichi had truly believed that Youko had known how to heal his injuries himself, he hadn't left him hurting out of cruelty, just ignorance.

 

 

***0***

 

 

Shiori wondered what could be so important about the friend her son wanted her to meet, and what he wanted to tell her that he could only say when this friend was here. She couldn't imagine anything so special, unless...did he have a girlfriend? She'd been so worried by the way he reacted to all the girls who chased him, she had been afraid that perhaps he'd be put off girls for life, but perhaps...

 

She concealed her disappointment when her son brought another boy, albeit a beautiful, very feminine boy, into the room, but she couldn't hide her shock when he knelt at her son's feet.

 

“Shuuichi-kun? Who is this, and why is he...” She couldn't bring herself to continue when the silver haired boy in the ice blue yukata nuzzled at her son's thigh.

 

“This is Youko Kurama, and he's part of what I need to tell you.” Shuuichi stroked Youko's hair with obvious affection. Shiori listened with a sense of rising disbelief and shock to the tale her son wove of kitsune and other demons, of a bargain struck between souls, of their love for her, including what they'd done for her sake, and of a spell that tore them apart and how they were lovers. It was the last thing that pushed her too far. She could accept a demon as a son, she could even bring herself to adopt and care for Youko if she had to, but she couldn't accept the idea of her precious son destroying his future to have sex with another boy.

 

They'd both grown fox ears and a fox tail to demonstrate - and nearly a foot and a half in height, explaining her son's uncharacteristically loose and sloppy clothing, but for all their inhuman elegance and beauty they were looking at her with pleading eyes, desperate for her love and acceptance. She took a deep breath to calm herself before she spoke.

 

“Shuuichi, I love you, and you will always be my son, nothing can change that. I think I can even love Youko for your sake, he needs it. But...I cannot condone a relationship that could hurt you so much. So many people think it's wrong for boys to sleep with other boys, think of what it would do to your career.” She wouldn't bring up her own issues with it, if it made her son happy she wouldn't have objected except for how badly it would damage his future.

 

“You want me to abandon my concubine because of the Gaijin prejudices that have infected our people? No one would have turned a hair even as recently as the Shogunate, but because ignorant Westerners think men shouldn't lie down together I should give up someone I've sworn to protect and shelter? I can't Kaasan, I just can't.” He sounded distraught at the very idea, her son had always had such a strong sense of responsibility, and the look on Youko's face...like a man who'd been allowed a glimpse of Heaven, and then turned away at the gates.

 

“P-please, Shiori-sama, if it is just how appearances will affect Shuuichi-sama's future I can disguise myself as a female. I've done it before. Will it buy me acceptance from you?” Shiori was shocked by the despair in his voice and the pure submission in every line of his body.

 

“Do you really think you can do that? Have you considered what it would mean? You would have to keep up the pretence every time you stepped out of your apartment.” She spoke gently to him, reaching out to stroke his hair.

 

“I-if Shuuichi-sama is willing to arrange a legal identity for me as a female I can.” He wasn't acting much like a demon, more like a frightened, abused child.

 

“You'll dress traditionally then. Kimono and that sort of thing. What name should I get put on your ID?”

 

Youko didn't answer at first, looking at her with a plea in his eyes. It only took a few seconds for Shiori to realise what he wanted. He was just turning to Shuuichi to speak, the hope dieing in his eyes when she broke in.

 

“When I was pregnant with you we chose two names, Shuuichi if I had a boy, and Akari if I had a girl. Why don't you give Youko Akari as a personal name?”

 

“If you would like that, Kaasan, then I will.” Youko...Akari just looked at her in adoration and Shiori quickly changed the subject.

 

 

***0***

 

 

It had taken a lot of persuasion from Shuuichi, but eventually Botan had agreed to take them both back to the Makai and pick them up when they'd finished their business. She dropped them off by the den Kurama had set up near the brothel where Asuka was kept when he first found her. Youko had thought it was a waste of time, but he'd been allowed to control their body a lot more while they were setting it up, so he hadn't objected. Shuuichi-sama picked up a large portion of the treasure they had stashed there, ten of the hiruseki gems that he'd stolen from a demon who collected them, and forty gold pieces, while Youko gathered seeds from the Sunstars and Flamehearts that lit and heated the den.

 

Shuuichi was wearing black leather pants that he'd modified for his humanoid form and a dark green silk shirt, as well as a whip made from a stingray's tail at his left hip; Youko hadn't expected him to be equipped like that, he'd known about the pants of course, he'd assumed they were for his form, but he'd obviously been buried deep in Shuuichi's mind when he'd gotten the whip. Youko followed his Patron, head lowered submissively, eyes focused on the other's waist, straying occasionally to that disturbing whip, a shiver running across his skin every time, ostentatiously unarmed even if no one would be fool enough to believe that appearance.

 

He glanced up at the brothel when they got there, pressing just a bit closer to Shuuichi as they entered the door of the fortified stone building, one of his earliest Patrons, the one who'd tried to break him, had told him that after she'd tired with him all he'd be good for was being a prostitute, if he was lucky, that he was more likely to end up in a brothel as a whore, a slave. That was why he'd never gone to one of those places once he had the choice not to, and another reason he'd hidden in Shuuichi's mind when he was with Asuka.

 

“I want to speak to the owner.” The guard, a crow demon, C-class inferior at best, took one look at Shuuichi and Youko and obeyed, escorting him into a sitting room where Youko knelt obediently at Shuuichi's feet, a perfect concubine. The owner was a dog demon, scarred on his face and just B-class inferior and he looked nervous to be in the presence of his betters, not daring to comment on the oddity of a concubine more powerful than D-class superior and more powerful than his Patron to boot.

 

“What did you wish to speak with me about, lord?” The demon sat, looking tense in his seat.

 

“I believe you have a black kitsune among your whores?” Shuuichi played casually with Youko's hair as he spoke, hardly seeming to pay attention in a display of disdain and contempt.

 

“Yes. I have a legitimate bill of sale and all the paperwork required for her.” The demon sounded defensive, Youko could tell that it surprised Shuuichi.

 

`Kitsune clans have been known to kill those who keep their clanmates as slaves, even legitimately, but especially if they were enslaved illegally.' He hadn't had a clan to defend him that way, but he'd thought his days of being a slave had ended a thousand years ago. He'd been proved wrong when he died, and he'd sold himself into slavery to a human in exchange for survival.

 

“Good. Because I want to buy her from you. I'll give you a hiruseki gem for her.”

 

“Why would you want...” The demon cut himself off quickly, but not quickly enough. Shuuichi leaned forwards with a predatory smile.

 

“What was that you were saying?”

 

“We don't usually get kitsune as clients, and why would you want a two-tailed vixen when you have a four-tail as a concubine?”

 

“Key word there? Vixen. I made an offer, will you accept it, or make a counter-offer?”

 

The dog did bargain then over the price, and they finally settled on a price of five hiruseki gems and ten gold pieces, for the vixen, her toiletries, and two full, decent outfits for her.

 

“One last thing. I want to see her and inspect her before I pay for her. Send for her and the ownership papers while you write out a bill of sale.”

 

 

***0***

 

 

Asuka shivered and wrapped her filmy robe and the furs of her bed more tightly around her body, looking wistfully at the locked trunk containing kimono and more practical clothing reserved for when a client requested it, before she began to brush her hair out. Inu punished the whores harshly if he thought they were improperly groomed, that was the only way this brothel was superior to the one he'd bought her from, she was required to bathe after every client, from when she'd been captured to when Inu bought her she'd been lucky to be allowed to bathe once every three months...

 

She put her brush aside and stepped out of the furs when she heard someone approaching. She got at least five minutes warning before a client arrived, but she didn't want any of the employees to catch her looking vulnerable, it might tempt them too much. Ebon was usually on guard at the gate, or her escort on the few occasions she was allowed out of the brothel - on a leash so she had no chance of escape - or occasionally to bring a whore to be punished. He wasn't sent to warn the whores about their clients' arrival.

 

“You're being sold vixen.” Her deepest fear, she'd managed to learn all the rules of this place and she was almost never punished anymore. “Your new master wants to inspect you before he pays.” He didn't say anything else, dragging her along to a room she'd never seen before. A red kitsune as powerful as she'd ever seen in even the eldest of her clan was sitting reading through some papers that had to be her ownership papers, with a silver kitsune radiating more power than she thought a kitsune could kneeling by his feet, wearing the collar and cuffs of a concubine. She just froze in the doorway at the unbelievable sight, until Ebon pushed her into the centre of the room, drawing Inu's attention from where he was writing out what had to be a bill of sale.

 

“Here she is. Feel free to inspect her as you wish my lord.” She shivered, eyes cast down in submission, waiting to be told what to do. When her new owner walked over to her she braced herself to be hurt - why else would such a beautiful kitsune resort to buying a whore? But he didn't even strip off her robe so he could see her body properly. Instead he put his hand under her chin and lifted it until she was looking him in the eyes.

 

“You left your clan freely, did you not?”

 

“Yes lord.” Her voice was a bare whisper and she hated herself for that, for showing so much weakness.

 

“And were you considered competent to teach kits before you left?”

 

“Of course lord.” She didn't see what he was getting at, but she wasn't going to be defiant towards him. He seemed satisfied, turning away from her towards Inu.

 

“She's what I thought she was. Get the other things I required.” He began taking gems of some sort out of his purse as he spoke, setting them on the table in exchange for the bill of sale.

 

“Five hiruseki gems, and ten gold pieces as agreed.” Her new master had been cheated then, she wasn't worth anywhere near that much...was she? “Youko.” Youko? As in Youko Kurama, the legendary bandit who appeared at the Dark Tournament? The last of his clan? It couldn't be. But the silver kitsune responded to the unspoken command, moving to join his...their master in front of her and holding out an open bag.

 

Their master pulled out a collar and cuffs like the ones his concubine was wearing and held them out to her. “I'd prefer to give you more time to think this over, but you'll have to decide now.”

 

First Patron Gift! Did he really think she needed time to think about this? All the whores dreamed of being a concubine, still a slave, but one that couldn't be sold when her Patron tired of her, only freed. She almost snatched the collar and cuffs from his hands, fastening them onto her body as fast as she could.

 

“Toura Asuka, will you accept me as Patron? I swear that while you are mine, and it is in my power to prevent you shall go neither hungry, nor thirsty, nor cold, you shall not lack for shelter, nor clothing, nor protection.” He seemed oblivious to the stunned stare Inu was directing at him.

 

“Y-yes, lord.” He smeared his blood on her collar at her response, then wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her to sit on his lap as he retook his seat.

 

“You can go now. Send her things in when they've been gathered.” Her new master spoke coldly to Inu, with a casual assumption of dominance and superiority that surprised her, and impressed her when it was obeyed. Then he turned his attention to her. “I live in the ningenkai. You can use your abilities to hide one of your tails when you're in fox form can't you?”

 

“Yes, lord.”

 

“You'll have to, until you get your third tail. Except for when you're in the apartment you'll be sharing with Youko or somewhere I tell you it is safe to look like a demon you'll have to pretend to be an exotic pet fox. Can you manage that?”

 

“If you command it, lord, then I must.” She wasn't certain that she dared say anything more, but... “It will take a long time for me to gain a third tail, perhaps more than a human lifespan.”

 

“I know it's possible to gain a tail or two in ten years, I did after all. Here's your things,” Ebon had arrived carrying a pack with him. “change into one of the outfits then we can go.”

 

 

***0***